The Taoist Past and Present
by kitkat811
Summary: Way back when while the Soga and Mononobe war was still raging and transitioning to the future, Soga no Tojiko relives her past with Futo and Prince Shoutoku. While angered with Futo's sly moves with Shoutoku, she falls in love with Prince all the more. And when Futo and Shoutoku are resurrected, what will happen to their relationship that they had built in the olden days?


My name is Soga no Tojiko. I am a member of one of the most powerful clans in Japan, the Soga. We are supposed to be great leaders of Buddhism, yet my friend and I, Mononobe no Futo, despise it. The Soga and the Mononobe are enemy clans and we are not to see each other. We were waging terrible war, lasting ages and ages.

Futo was unsure of what to do.

"Yo, Tojiko!" She waved to me in the middle of a clearing, where we promised to meet at nightfall. We had to be careful, for demons and yokai lurked within moonrise.

"Nice to see you again, Futo! How involved is the Mononobe... they seem to be putting in all they have, but it doesn't seem they could win!"

"I know," Futo sighed. "I don't want my beliefs to lose nor you to lose. I haven't a clue what I should consider as a solution!"

"Hmm." I took this to thought. "Neither do I. We're in a very tight situation. Nothing might work at all."

Futo's brows furrowed as she thought, leaning against a large sakura tree. I sat myself down on the grass, letting the wind caress my green hair. My dress was a deep emerald with violet rimmed amulets on the hem. It was a gift from my mother. I vowed never to change dresses, I was so grateful. It was comfortable too, so I could live up to that challenge.

"Tojiko!" I was so lost in the beautiful scene of the wilderness before me that I had not heard Futo call my name endless times. "Maybe..! Maybe I could betray my clan?"

I gasped at the thought. "Betray the Mononobe?! Have you no thought of your status there? The Mononobe will lose hope in itself!"

"But isn't that the point, Tojiko?"

"I... I know, but..."

"But what?"

"But I don't want you to lose your clan!" I grabbed the hands of my dear friend and squeezed them. "I know this is hard for you, with the war waging and all, elders becoming enraged at loss, others pushing harder for a bloodbath, but I don't want you to risk everything you've worked for!" Futo sighed and looked down at the long blades tickling our feet. The moist, cool wind signified dawn had come.

"I don't care. I don't want my clan to win. I will come with you back to the House of Soga."

"Futo... Alright. But if anything bad happens to you, not my fault!" I smirked and began running back to the house of my clan, not knowing that victory was within the Soga's grasp, but at a devastating price.

Shortly after Mononobe no Futo joined in on the Soga Clan secretly, we reigned victorious, but what was different afterwards, was that our religious practices seemed different. Futo was leading this, and I became utterly suspicious.

Once I found an extra day to talk to her, I grabbed onto the chance like my life, or, my religion in this case, depended on it.

"Futo? May I talk to you in private?" There was a different aura about her, she seemed a bit more ominous than before.

"Sure, why not?" We walked to my quarters and I sat myself down on my bed, while Futo situated herself on the carpet. There was an uneasy air in the room, like someone was hiding something from someone, most likely I was the one being left in the dark.

"Futo..."

"Yes, Tojiko?"

I took a deep breath and exhaled, exasperated. "What have you done to the Soga? Our religious practices, our faith, our..! You have made us blind followers of Buddhism!" The look of shock on my face could not be matched by any other. I stood up and walked to Futo, enraged.

Mononobe no Futo's eyes widened, and she turned her head. "...Yes, that is true..."

"Why? WHY?! Have you no common sense? Being against Buddhism is what we are for! And you have ruined us! What in the world compelled you to do this to my Clan?" Tears began to seep through my eyelids. "You only brought us to victory to tear us down!" I plopped myself down on my bed, weeping.

Futo sighed a long sigh of guilt and walked over to my side. "It's not because I wanted to, Tojiko. It's because I-"

"No! Because nothing!" I stood up, turned around and faced the girl of Mononobe turned Soga. "What you have done cannot be reversed!" My face trembled as I fell to my knees.

"Tojiko... What time is it?"

"Why should you care? Is it time for you to go spread that wretched religion somewhere else?" I seethed.

"No, you're going to have a visitor." Futo looked at me with a stone faced expression.

I scoffed. "A visitor? A visitor! Am I really in the best state for a visitor?" I began to stomp away from her with rage until my foot created a gaping hole in the wooden floor, ending up with my leg gaining a long gash on my shin.

"Aggh...!" I cried out in pain, and did not resist when someone pulled me up from the hole.

I couldn't see who it was, but whomever it was, the person had a firm, strong grip, and hoisted me up swiftly. I saw out of the corner of my eye Futo stand up immediately and bow.

"Huh?"

Futo kept her head bowed. "Prince Shoutoku, your presence is an honor in this household!"

_Prince...?!_ As I regained my balance, I turned my head and looked at the gallant man before me. 'Prince Shoutoku' had beige hair that rose up in sections like horns, earmuffs with two Japanese characters on them, a shaku and a long golden sword longer than his leg.

"W...Wha...? Futo? What is he doing here?" I didn't exactly know who this 'Prince Shoutoku' was, but I certainly did not want him in my room while I was in this state! I was still bleeding, and it stung so much I shuddered and fell to my knees.

"Soga no Tojiko, are you alright?" His voice shocked me. It sounded so silky, and... all the while cunning, like a fox.

I blushed as I turned around to face the concerned Prince. "I-I'm fine, thank you very much. The human body is weak anyways." I got up and brushed myself off, and limped back to my bed. "Futo, may you explain to me what the hell compelled you to use Buddhism to blindly direct the Soga?" My rage returned as I faced my friend, as sweat beads appeared on her forehead.

Shoutoku cut in. "I believe I can answer for her." He stepped forward. "As you already know, both you and Mononobe no Futo despise Buddhism. Futo, behind the scenes of her Clan who worshipped Buddhism, was secretly worshipping another religion, called Taoism."

His speech was so... hypnotic. The name also was very enthralling. "Taoism?" I inquired.

Shoutoku smiled. "Taoism is a religion that was released at the very exact same time as Buddhism, grants the user superhuman abilities based off their own wills. As time progresses, it leads to immortality." Immortality? It had sounded like something of a fantasy! "But however, this religion is not good for those in political positions, for worshippers of this religion eventually become hermits. So I, an ally in worship, came to Futo with a plan." At this part, I had become jealous. A plan? Does this have to do why the Soga are blindly worshipping Buddhism? Why couldn't he have come to me? "My plan was to get the country governed by Buddhism as to keep the citizens calmed. And then we would curse our own deaths, and be reborn as shikaisen." Shoutoku seemed pleased with his description, as he crossed his arms and smiled.

"Shikaisen... But... You'll both be dead. But when will you know when to resurrect?"

"We don't know for sure yet," Futo said. "We don't even know if it's going to work. That's why I'm going to be his test subject."

What?! This is... What?

"Why are you willing to risk your life for such... such a conceited cause?" I looked at my friend and she sighed. I looked at Prince Shoutoku and I walked out. "This is just..." I shook my head as I walked. My walking eventually turned to limping, for the pain increased by every step. "Such a stupid body... Maybe they are right. Maybe becoming a shikaisen is not a bad idea..." I muttered under my breath as I looked down at my leg, the blood drying in some places and spouting in others. It was very revolting. "Ughh..." I turned my head away, and saw Shoutoku walk towards me. "Great. Two pains in the asses now coming my way." I muttered, although he wasn't much of a pain in the ass, but acted like one.

"Tojiko, you didn't seem very happy with my plan." He looked at me with sad eyes.

I grumbled and pushed his head away. "Please, don't look at me like that, Prince."

I could sense Shoutoku's smile. "Why not? Your face is too beautiful to be cringing." _B...Beautiful?_ I turned to look at this man, blush rushing to my cheeks as I did so.

"What... did you say... Prince..?" I stuttered on my own words I was so surprised.

Prince Shoutoku leaned inwards so that we could taste each other's breath. "I called you beautiful, my dear." His golden eyes beckoned me closer. I fought back the urge to collapse in this man's arms and let him hold me. He wrapped his arms around me and brought me closer.

"Say, would you like to be my test subject as well?"


End file.
